More than Just a Good Buy

We opened the March issue talking about the community giving that is done through the grants issued to local non-profits from proceeds raised by the annual Tour of Homes presented by the Episcopal Church Women of Christ Church Frederica. Now we’d like to shine a light on another local outreach founded by the community for the community. Many people think of Hello Goodbuy, the little resale shop on the corner of Highway 17 and Gloucester Street, as simply another thrift store, but it is so much more than that!

In the 1950s, the St. Mark’s Thrift Store was started as an outreach ministry of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Brunswick by a small group of people with big hearts. Their giant leap of faith gained modest success in the store’s early years and a model for giving back to those in need in the community was developed. In 2011, the store was relocated and reborn as Hello Goodbuy, the Golden Isles’ Non-Profit Resale Store, and is run by a paid and volunteer staff. The thrift store is run completely on community donations and is fueled by locals helping locals. Their purpose is to utilize sales from the thrift store to support church outreach work and to finance projects led by local non-profit agencies and outreach programs through quarterly distributions, and their mission remains the same as it always was: to return ALL proceeds in excess of operating expenses to the Golden Isles community.

On January 12, Hello Goodbuy distributed $29,611 to 11 area non-profits at their 4th Quarter of 2018 Giving Back ceremony, bringing their total Community Impact since opening to almost $800,000 to date and assisting approximately 100 organizations. That is incredible! And it can only be accomplished through generous donations, hardworking staff and volunteers, loyal customers, and community support.

You can make a difference in people’s lives just by bargain shopping or getting rid of your unwanted items! Donations are accepted between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and pick-up can be arranged if you have gently used furniture or large items to donate. Hello Goodbuy accepts anything from furniture, clothing, children’s items and toys, beds and bedding to housewares, jewelry, media, collectible, and more. If it’s in decent condition, they’ll take it! And if they can’t use it, they’ll find someone who can. Remember your donations are tax-deductible too!

Hello Good Buy rack

Hello Good Buy shelves

In addition to the quarterly giving through the Outreach Program, Hello Goodbuy also hosts special First Saturday Sales with deals in the main building and in the annex located in the adjacent building. These sales are used to raise funds for a specific community non-profit each month. In January, funds were raised for the St. Mark’s Towers Residents Council to provide entertainment and activities for their homebound residents. In February, proceeds from sales in the annex were used to support the local Coast Guard Auxiliary, as they were affected by non-payment during the federal government shut-down. Hello Goodbuy also helps people with material needs on a daily basis. In 2018, they gave away more than $20,000 worth of merchandise to people in need in the Golden Isles community.

Ready to help you find what you need are Alice Nightingale, Rose Wilson, Kay Curry

Something else Hello Goodbuy does well is digital. In addition to selling in the thrift store, they are a vendor on eBay. Their website (hellogoodbuystore.com) is very well done and user friendly, with a link to their e-bay listings, as well as a photo gallery of many items in the store. Here you can also find information about the quarterly distributions, a list of recipients, and an online application for quarterly funding, if you happen to represent a qualifying 501(c)(3). There’s also an online volunteer application too, so you too can get involved.

The Hello Goodbuy Facebook page is another fabulous resource. They post regularly so you can find out about new items in the store as well as any special sales and events. They also use it to celebrate and support their volunteers and the work they do outside of Hello Goodbuy. For instance, they shared a photo posted by Keep Golden Isles Beautiful showing a team of volunteers at February’s GreenScreen Film Festival Local Environmental Organization Fair, with this comment: “Hello Goodbuy Board Member and Volunteer Chrys Graham sets a great example of what we stand for — not only being part of our Community, but actively working to make a difference and leave a positive impact. We are proud to call her one of our own.” They are helping to promote the West Marigold Mardi Dawg Parade on March 3, which benefits Coastal Animal Rescue Society and No Kill Glynn County, by sharing its information and this positive post: “Hello Goodbuy Volunteer and previous Board Chair Rose Wilson embodies what we stand for as a key organizer of this event. She believes in our Community and actively makes her mark as a caregiver, nurturer, and supporter.” They are wonderfully supportive of others: encouraging people to visit local businesses where volunteers are employed, sharing other outreach projects, and even announcing the opening of the new Safe Harbor Thrift Shop. We love seeing this type of engagement!

Hello Goodbuy is located at 1523 Glynn Ave. in Brunswick, and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Sunday. They can be reached at 912.264.8181 with any questions or to arrange furniture pick-up. Follow Hello Goodbuy on Facebook and visit the thrift store website at
hellogoodbuystore.com. For a truly uplifting experience, drop in the store during the Quarterly Funding Ceremonies to see who the non-profit recipients are and hear about what they plan on doing with the money. It’s amazing to see how so many people in our community can be touched by the work of this one little store! Plan a visit to say “Hello” and get the benefit of giving to good works plus the bargain of a good buy.